Chapter 477: “Neo Humans”
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
Seiji took a taxi to a high-class Sakura Island tea café.
The decorations here seemed slightly plainer than the ones at the high-class restaurant owned by the Himiki judging clan. However, the decorations were similarly elegant and seemed quite tasteful.
A female server led Seiji to a private room.
There was nobody inside.
The server asked if he would like to order anything, and Seiji indicated that he didn't. The server then bowed and left Seiji alone.
Seiji looked all around him and enjoyed the view as he sat down on a cushion in front of the table and patiently waited.
He recalled the first time he coincidentally met Yui Haruta at the Grand Spring department store. Seeing her there really shocked him and he felt that meeting her would be really awkward, so he hid in the men's restroom…
Was meeting her there truly a coincidence? Seiji was uncertain. However, he felt that there was no need to know the answer.
He had talked to her subordinates, and also talked to her by phone since then. Now was the time to meet her in person for the first time since he reincarnated in this world.
Seiji heard some footsteps. A moment later, the door to the private room was opened.
A beautiful black-haired girl wearing a white windbreaker walked into the room.
Seiji exchanged glances with her.
When their gazes met, it was as if they exchanged countless words in that moment… just joking.
'I've finally met her.' That was Seiji's first thought.
'She's truly beautiful.' That was his second thought.
He didn't feel anything else apart from that. He didn't have any dramatic emotions of love or hate for this blood-related sister of his that he didn't actually know that well due to not being the original Seiji Haruta.
"Long time no see, Sister Yui." Seiji smiled in greeting.
"…Long time no see."
Yui's expression was calm. However, something flashed in her eyes, which indicated that she wasn't quite so calm inside at all.
Yui took off her windbreaker to reveal a blouse underneath that didn't do anything to conceal her ample bosom.
Seiji couldn't help but stare for a short moment as he compared Yui's chest size to Natsuya's. However, he instantly suppressed such a way of thinking and got rid of all unnecessary idle thoughts!
After putting away her windbreaker, Yui sat down across from Seiji and ordered some tea.
Both of them remained silent for several seconds even after the server left after receiving Yui's order.
"When did you become a Yin-Yang Master?" Yui spoke up first.
"Just two days ago."
"Why didn't you tell me immediately?"
"Um… I didn't think to." Seiji was rather surprised that she asked such a question.
Yui took a good look at his face.
"You've done very well… Seiji."
She called him by name.
The name of her younger brother that she personally exiled from the Haruta Family. The name that she had personally officially removed from the family records.
Just what she felt when she called him by name again… even she herself didn't know.
Seiji could feel the deep emotions contained within her seemingly nonchalant words.
Seiji smiled openly and brightly in response.
"It's all thanks to you, Sister Yui."
Simply judging by his current circumstances, this would normally sound like sarcasm. However, Seiji's smile and tone were both completely sincere with not even a trace of sarcasm to be found.
Yui widened her eyes slightly.
She received a larger impact from this than she'd expected.
Things fell silent between them again.
A while later, Seiji was about to continue the discussion when Yui spoke first, "What did you wish to discuss with me?"
"It's like this… I have several friends that have become Awakened. And as you know, the Awakened currently have an awkward status in the mystical society. I would like to seek protection for them."
"You want me to protect your Awakened friends?"
"Yes, if that's possible."
"Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Of course I'd do it if I was capable, but my power is limited…"
"You believe that you can't do it, so you want to rely on me?"
"You could say that. I figured that there would be no harm in asking. Perhaps my Sister Yui would be willing to assist me," Seiji told her honestly.
Yui fell silent for a moment.
"You don't have the confidence to protect your friends, and you even want to rely on someone that you declared that you were going to defeat?" Yui looked directly into Seiji's eyes. Her tone contained different emotions from earlier.
"That's right. I know that it's quite shameful, but I'm still making such a request even so." Seiji faced her question seriously.
The room fell silent yet again.
There was a knock on the door. A server entered and brought Yui the confectioneries and tea that she had ordered, then silently left.
During this time, Seiji and Yui kept looking directly at each other with neither of them so much as looking anywhere else at all.
"Did you talk to Hana about this before you came to discuss this with me?"
"I did. She opposed me doing such a thing."
"Yet you still chose to come find me."
"Yes."
Something flashed in Yui's eyes.
"Are you testing me?"
Seiji's lips arced upward upon hearing this.
"No… but also yes."
"What does that mean?"
"It's true that I would like your assistance. Even if you refuse, I still gain something from seeing how you react…" Seiji paused for a moment while his mouth arced upwards even higher. "To be honest, being able to meet you in person and talk to you like this face to face was already something that I didn't expect."
Yui didn't respond to this.
She revealed a complex expression.
Seiji retracted his gaze, lowered his head, and looked at the table. He then picked up a teacup and sipped on some tea.
'Hmm, this is excellent tea,' he praised in his mind.
Yui continued observing her younger brother for a while before picking up her own teacup and also sipping on her tea.
The handsome boy and beautiful girl who were siblings, quietly drinking tea together in an elegant room while tasting the confectioneries seemed like a scene out of a movie.
"I won't protect your friends," Yui finally spoke up again after a long period of silence. "Protect your friends by yourself."
Seiji nodded. "I apologize for bothering you with such a thing—"
"However, I will tell you some information, about the Awakened," Yui continued.
Seiji blinked as he realized that this sounded really important.
"Please go ahead. I'm more than happy to learn."
"Awakened are the 'Neo Humans.'"
"Neo Humans?"
Seiji revealed a subtle expression upon hearing this term.
Yui interpreted his expression as one of confusion, so she continued explaining, "They're the ones most suited to this current new generation. They have truly strong potential. Their potential isn't entirely positive, as it also has possible negative connotations. In other words, they might become powerful individuals in the future, but they also might turn into monsters. And, Neo Humans aren't limited to merely the Awakened… or another way of putting it is that the world still has far too much limited information on what they think the Awakened are. Actually, the phenomenon of 'Awakening' has appeared long ago, even before the New Year's incident. People have been Awakening even before then…"
Something flashed in Yui's eyes as she looked at the boy sitting across from her.
"You are one such example yourself, Seiji."
Seiji didn't know what to say at this.
'This means that she considers me an Awakened as well? A Neo Human?'
'I suppose that the way she describes it… it really does make me sound like one?'
Seiji thought at a high speed regarding this topic.
He had always believed himself to be a combination of a reincarnator, transmigrator, and body stealer. However, his identity could be interpreted the opposite way as well. Perhaps he was still the same depraved scumbag Seiji Haruta who miraculously received the memories of an otaku from another world… or somehow combined with that otaku's soul?
He had always reflexively denied being such a depraved scumbag and recognized himself as a transmigrator.
But perhaps he wasn't one to begin with? He had merely "Awoken" in a different manner from Yukari and his friends, but he might still be an "Awakened" after all!
That was to say, in this theory, he wasn't someone else to begin with at all. He wasn't a reincarnator, or a transmigrator, and definitely not a hero from another world.
He was Seiji Haruta! A former scumbag who suddenly changed himself when he "Awakened" and became a "Neo Human!!"